Steer clear of Miracle Mineral Solution and look-alikes

Sold online under various names, this and similar products are touted as a remedy for everything from cancer and autism to HIV/AIDS and hepatitis. But these claims aren't only false—they're dangerous.

FDA sounded a past alarm about these products in 2010. But the agency has received recent reports that the remedies have caused life-threatening reactions in people who drank them. If you're using any of the products, FDA has this urgent advice: Stop now.

Besides Miracle Mineral Solution, these products may be known as:

MMS.

Master Mineral Solution.

Miracle Mineral Supplement.

Chlorine Dioxide (CD) Protocol.

Water Purification Solution (WPS).

But whatever they're called, when prepared according to the package directions, they turn into a strong bleach.

Miracle Mineral Solution, for example, is a solution of 28% sodium chlorite in distilled water. Sodium chlorite is an active ingredient in disinfectant. It isn't meant for people to swallow.

Users are instructed to mix the product with citric acid, such as lemon or lime juice, before drinking it. That turns it into chlorine dioxide, a powerful bleach.

Ingesting any of these products can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Some product labels even contend that these reactions are proof the solution is working. But there's no evidence that these products work at all, FDA cautions.